Heating system.



3 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

Parented Mar. 28, 1911.

I. COWLES.

HEATING SYSTEM APPLIUATION FILED oor. 2a. 1909.

I. GOWLBS.

HBATINC- SYSTEM.

LIPPLIOATIUK FILED OUT- 23, 1909.

Patented Mar. 28, 1911.

'3 SHEETB*SHEET 2.

I. GOWLES.

HEATING SYSTEM.

APPLwAToN ULEB 00.1". 2s, 190:).

, Patented 111511228, 1911.

3 SHEBTSSJEBT 3.

sriftTESritTEnT ormon- IRVIIIG COWLES, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS. ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HAL TO ROBERT L.

I GIFFORD, OF CHICAGC. ILLINOIS, l

HEATING SYSTEM.

Application tiled October 23, 1909. Serial No. 524,116.

To a!! wh-om. it may conecrn.;

lle it. ltnotvn that l. lnvixo (fontina, re.-,idingr at Chit-ago. in the enmity oi Cook and State of illinois. have invented certain nen and nset'nl lmprovement-- in Hearing 5y:- tenls. ot whieh the following is a etunplt-te, dear. full. and preeise l-pet-itituition'.

l\t v invention relates to heating s v ;tem.

partenlarl'v to lieating'.\ \1-te1ns for utilizing: the heat in i tea1n.

M v invention is part iealarl'v adaptable for heating' water to he nist-d for` various purposes. :neh an for washing' and retilling loeomotive boilers. Y

."\|t|onj r the \alient objects ot in v invention are to provide a system re-'nprisine a plaralit)v et' heating mechanisms in eat-h olf hielt the heat from steam is utilized. thesel mechanisms being so intereolnteeted that one meehanisln hanA preferenee over the othera with respeet o the steam iQnpply. the. arrangement being.r sneh that when a Certain temperature hal been rearhed in one meehaninnl the steam Suppl'v is :mtoma'ieallv diverted to other mechanism: to provide interconnections whereb)V the heating' meebanisnis can be used alone or in various combinations; to provide attaehnnfnts whereby heat from hlotvlroti' steam and n'ater ean be ntilizetl in the mechanisme: and in general to provide a system which is very flexible and which eau he need in a variety of ways tot' --eatingY or other pnrposeq.

\l v invention will be nearly ainle\i'.\'.oor,l ll'v refers-nee to the "Allowing spteitieatinn and aeeonxpanyine drawings. in which li-avvings,

Figure 1 iS the suie elevation .allowing the construction. relative poitions and eonneetions of a system comprising tno tanks, Fig. L is a sectional view taken on plane 2*2, Fig. 1. Fig. 3 shows diagramniatieally a modified arrangement and intertonneetion of heating meehanistns. and Fig. 4 shows the ends of the two tanks shown in hij". l and a moditied form ot diversion eontrollin; nteehanism eonneetetl therewith.

The apparatus in Figs. l and 2 i support4 ed on a concrete hed 1. forming the in :n vat i. and an over-tion' vat 2. separated .sont the main vvat. b v a transverse wall -t. 'l'he vat is sealed by a cover whieh engage the top of the A\trnet||re l. the utp of wall -l being belon the, cover so that the level of water in vat. 2 is aitvavs belovv the cover to leave an Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Mar. 2S. 1911.

:tir spare t' over the water. .S-.tth'ile frames rnonntefl on the hed support a large condenser tank and Saddle trames 9 on this tank in tin-n vport a smaller tank 10. The tank ltl d.. 'nled h v partitions 11 and li' into rntjl (.otnpartments 13 and 11 and into a heating eoxnpm'tmentl 15. Fines 1G terminate in the partitions 11 and. 1L so that steam flowingr through the fluel .vili heat water eirenlntingf through compartment 15. y The water ro he heated enters compartment 1C trom piping 17, and the heated water is conveyerl to the. plaee of eonnmnption through pipinglr 151. Piping` 19 Connects with compartment 1?, to conve)y thereto the. exhangt steunt troni :team heating or power plants or from `Steam operated heating;r or power devices.y the wheel: valve :'30 beine' interped in this pipr` ing: to prevent haelt flow from the heating tank. Piping 21 eonneetrs` eoinpartment l2; with a live steam delivery pipe 9.2. a redneing valve Q3 being interposed in this piping together 'with a main. t'onttolliney valvel 24- This piping also includes a valve. 25 which is controlled automatically h v tl1er1no-tatie meehanisxn 2(5 'hieh eon'imnnieate with the, interior of eolnpzu-tlnent- 15 to he. inltneneetl by the temperature ot the Water tl'ierein. 'lhe water ot condensation ean eseape from the steam emnpartment of the tank through the piptx n' QT. The piping '2S eXtentlS tlronz the upper' part of et'nnpartment 15 antL...ontains a re'ief valve 29 which opens when the 1,u'e::-nre m the water compartment heroine*` too grt-at. as when the Servire. pipingr 1S is suddenly eloi'ed. heel( flow of the n ater front mnipartint'rnt 15 hein;r prevented b v a eheel; valve I-t) interpoee'l in piping 1.?

The large heating tnnk is divided b v par` titions 211 and 32 into end compartments 3l; and 34 and a water heatingr eonn'mrtment 2.15. these partitions being."r eoniweted b v tlues jt n-'bieh eonnnnnieate with the enti eoinpartments P33 and l-lto receive Steam llrnv whose heat serves lo raiSe the temperature ot' water tion-ing: through compartment 215 about the lines flt. The water to he heated 1na}i enter the vompartnlent 35 iireetly through piping 3T controlled b v the valve or the water am he fui-eed into the. compartment through pipingr 39 by a torre pump l0. a valve 41 beingIr interposed in piping nl. Piping 41' nerves. to transmit blow-ott :steam and water from a boiler tu the vat L', the end of this piping extending -into the tank and boing reversely curved as shown to form a trap 42, ,the pipe including also a controlling valve 43. By-pass pipe 44 connects with pipingl 41 in advance 5 of valve 43 and leads to a waste receiving source such as a sewer. this piping including a controlling valve 45. The air space G of the vat 2 comuuxnicates with compartment 33 through a connecting pipe 46 so that blow-ott' steam can flow directly from the space 6. into compartment 33 and from thence through the heating pipes 3G and intocompartmcnt 84. Blow-ofi water cannotflow to the heatingr tank but remains inl the vat. The. temperature and pressure of the blow-ottl water are usually above the natural boiling temperature and atmospheric pressure respectivelye and when this blow-olf water flows into the vat its piessure will be great-ly relieved, the result beingwthat the water boils to generate steam and this steam will flow through connection 4d into the heating compartments of the tank Tov increase the tendency ot the blow-ott` water to boil additional means are provided for creating vacuum eti'eet in the steam compartments of the tank and in the space 6 ofthe vat. This Vacuum effect can be produced by ay pump 47 connected with lthe steam compartments of the tank, piping 48 being shown for connectingthe pump with the compartn'ient 34. the pipe extendint: to the bottom of this compartment as shown. As soon as ste-am tlowsinto the Steam compartments of the tank it is cooled by the water about the tlues 35 and is condensed. the water ot' condensation being taken up by the vacuum pump through pipe 48, this causing the creation of vacuum effect 40 in the steam compartments and also in the space (l ot the vat, the result; being that the pressure is further reduced in the vat 'and further boiling of the blow-off water is caused. The vacuum ett'ect' can be adjusted so that the' water will boil until all its use ful heat is extracted in the form of vapor and steam which flow through the steam compartments of the tank 8 t0 heat the water circulating about the tlucs. The Water of condensation taken up by pump 47 is preferably delivered through pipe 49 into compartment 35 to there mingle with the Water and to add its-'heat units thereto. The condensation water outlet pipinglr 27 from the steam compartments ot tank 10 is connected with compartment 34 so that the condensation water from tank 10 is also delivered to the water to be heated. a trap valve 50 being interposed in pipe 27 so that the condensation water will flow from tank 10 to tank 8 but steam flow between the tanks prevented.' A pipe 51 also count-ets compartment 34 with thc upper part. of trap 50 and them-e with the compartment llt of l 60 tank l0 so that the vacuum -etcct 1s aim extended to the steam compartments of tank 10 and thus to the exhaust supply delivered through piping 19. A check valve 52 interposed in piping 51 would prevent back flow from the steam compartments of tank 8 to those of tank 10. The relief outlet 28 from tank 10 also communicates with compartment 34 so that any over-tioxwwater from tank 10 is caught and delivered by pump 47 to compartment 35 of tank 8. 75 The piping 17 connects at the top of tank S with compartment 35 so that the water delivered from the main 37 will flow serially through the tanks, back-110W from tank l0 to tank 8 heilig prevented by the 80 check valve 3() already referred to. No' condensation water or over-flow wvater is wasted as it is all delivered back to the water in the. tank 8 and no heat units are therefore lost. Pumps 40 and 47 receive 85 their steam supply from branchV pipes 53 and 54 connected with the main supply pipe 22. Pipe 53 includes a hand valve 55 and a governor valve 56 which connects throughv pipe 5T with the compartment 35, this valve 90 being controlled b v thcpressure of the water. in the tanks to automatically adjust: the steam supply to pump 40. In pipe Y54 is included a hand valve 58 and a governor` valve 59 which connects through a pipe 60 95 with the pipe, 48, this' governor valve being controlled by the vacuum degree inthe tank to automatically adjust the steam supply to pump 47. If the pressure of the water inthe tanks exceeds a predetermined vaille "9 valve 56 will be automatically closed and delivery pump 40 stopped. Likewise if the vacuum etiect exceedsa certain predetermined value valve 59 will shut ott' the steam supply from pump 47, the operation of these valves being well understood in the art. The'exhauststeam .from these pumps is delivered. through piping (i1 to the piping 19 so that the heat units from the exhaust steam can assist. in heating water in tank 10.

Piping 62 connects with piping 19 outside of the check valve 20 and leads to compartment 33 of -tank 8. Piping G3 connects with piping 19 inside of the check valve 2O and also leads to compartment 33. Piping 62 115 includes a back pressure valve 64 which prevents steam flow from tank 8 to tank 10 and which allows steam How from piping 19 to tank 8 only when the pressure inside the piping exceeds the pressure for which valve 64 has been adjusted. The steam pressure in tank 8 is limited by a back pressure valve 66 included in outlet piping 67 extending from compartment 34.

The operation or' the system can -now'be 125 followed. Valve 65 is normally closed and the exhaust steam supply through piping 19 flows into the steam compartments of tank t0, and if the pressure of the exhapst steam exceeds thepressurefoi-'which'valve 64 is 130 the celu surfaces in the water coiiipai'iiiunt l. A@ soon as the water has ahmrhed Sullicient heat. units to give it :i temperature corresponding to the. iii-erasure of the exhaust Steam, and it' thi` pressure ei'eeeds the pres sure for which valve (il has heen adjusted the. exhauststeani tluw will he diverted through pipe, 43".' to tank S and the. heat units et the exhaust .iteaui taken up h v the water in tank S. A5 the temperature in tank 1U falls steam will again tlow and the water will he quiekl) brought up to its` der-'tred temperature. Thus' all theheatof the ex haast attain primarily available foi' heating a ain: lli'uhune ot' water in tank it) and as soon aa this sinall volume (if water has been suiieiently heated the. exhaust steam is l diverted to tank Si to heata larger volume i of water in this tank. rlaiik 'l0 has always direct connection with the. piping 1) hut taken' en exhauat steam flow only in sutiicieiit quant-ities to maintain its water at a certain g tem iQi'atiire. all excesv steam owine to tank 8. Redueingi-'alve 2? should he for :i prergsure somewhat less than the pressure for which valve G4 adjusted and therefore al; though valve. 25S is opened hv the thermostat if.: ineelianisin, live Steam will not. flow into tank 't0 unless the exhaust steam has a pressure helow that'. for which the reducing valve iS Set. that is, live steam will not thin' until the eilnftui-.i' steun falls in pi'esui'e and is un'- ahle ia sntleieiitli' heat the water. For illu.-; tration. Suppose that. valve (it is Set. for two pounds and the reducing valve for one and ene hall' pounds. lilium, non', the syst'ein started and the water in tank l0 cold the incoming exhaust steam will he imliiefliatelv Condened and eonf'siderahla' vaeiiiun elif-.iet crea-.teil in the tank so that live Sleat" at n ,iit'wsure ot' one and om: hal: poi. will Sloviiito the tank to :Feist the exhaust Sie;

tf.; teniiei atleet iliiiiii..

ire. ia :seen as the vacuum n te rapidly tiringl the water up tenipei'aturef 120th tanks can, however.I he directly connected with the exhait steam source hy npenin'ar vulve C5. ii'hereupon the heating surfaces of the two taul\\ will he ei'iuihined. lf the pressure in the tanksl is helmv one and out-halt pouii=l l live steam will limi' to hotli tank# to af r t thi.` exhuiit steain in rapidly hi'inging the water to teiuopened. valve 45 remaining eloseil. litt .valve i 133 is clowd. the blow-ell ,steam and the steam generated by the. hoiiing water in vat L will tlow through thil steam ronipartinents of tank S onlv, while if valve G5 is open lilou'- otl' .steam will alao enter tank l0. but this valve is pri'i'erahl).v closed so that' hack pressure, valve ttl is etieetive to autoniaticall)Y control the exhaust steam tn tank S. hack flow of blow-riti Sieain tothe exhault Strani teni heilig prevented hv valves 20 and (il. 1With the. arrangement thus Jfar described, the tanks can each he used alone for lieatiirelr .vater 0i' can he used together in variou. eoinhiiiatioiis. The heat producingr iiiediiini can he entirelv live Steaua. or exlia "t arcani.

or blow-ottV4 steaiii, or dittereiiti eoininiuitioiis the nales' iii the vat should rise ahove th` level of wall l 'the flew-over water will euter compai'tnuiit il and will discharge thi-mieli piping' Tft to the sewer. this pi. ing having a valve 73 :iiit'nnatiealli' controlled h v the level (if the ivater iu eonipai'tinent 3 hi' means of a tlfiat having eonnection t'liri'iugh lever nwchani5-ni T7 with valve T5.

ln `Vin v system. therefore. ene healingi n'ieirliaiiisni has preference in a ptuialitj.' of

, heating ineehauisiujs as regarda a ateani aup- 'iii lie. il'ess i1. EL 'ii ltl i u ii tho one and` one halt pounds the live steam iil'iw will 51H1) tion the exhaunt sit-ani pr one and one haii" panni inediiiiely enters and a.; haast steaiii'again reeovia'..

sure. has been himigsatto temperature and, the pressure in the tank has emu-e to the pressure of the exhauststeain. and if thi pres- 'Sure falls heloi'f its' normal preshut il during the coin-1e of operaheeft reached in the heatingr mechanism.

rive steam ini i until he ex-g' plv. the steam tiow to the said heating mechanism being unrestriciei'l and iii-ing: di-

verted (inl)- when a Certain temperature has This Steam Supplv tri the healing mechanism remains unrestricted so that it' the teuii'ierature falls it ean iinn'iediatelv he brought alsa. as suon as the water in tank l0 hack to the proper value. The diverted steam can he utilized in any niunher ot' other heating; mechanisms. The diversen feature can be continued progressively to a nuiuhei' sure is over two pounds, the exhaiis. steam vv vn. ne iver ei imufri va.ve fi 'o tlqilld tltl'hl l '4i tank 8. '.lfliiis tank S automatically receives exhauststeaui supply as soon as the water l in tankv l0 has iie'inshroaght t0 the desired of heating mechanisms. For example. iii

fl I have. shown diagraininatieally tanks 10 and S connected together .hy a diversion path, and with the relief pipe 6T T have couneeted a second heating n'ieehanisin comprisllU ing tanks 10' and 8. The exhaust steam supply piping 19 has unrestricted connection e therefore, of the Water reaches a certain pref determined value, valve 8O is closed and the with the tank 10 and has connection with tank 8 through pipe 62, the ow, however, from tank 8 being.restricted by the back pressure valve G4. After tank 10 has been exhaustY steam will be diverted to tank S. Iflvalve G4 is adjusted for two pounds then if lthe exhaust steam pressure is 1greater than tw'o poimds the exhaust steam will iow to tank 8. The water in tank S is soon sufficiently heated and requi `esno more steam. In the connection between pipe G7 andl tank 10 is a back pressure valve 78 which, for example, may be adjusted for three pounds pressul'e, and in the connection from pipe 67 Yto tank 8 is included a back pressure valve 79 which, for example, may be adjusted for four pounds, and the back pressure valve 6G included in pipe 6i' may, for example, be adjusted to tive pounds. As soon as no more exhaust steam is required in 'tank S and the steam pressure is greater than four pounds, exhaust steam will flow from tank' 8 through valves 78 and 79 to tanks 8 and l0 to heat the water in these tanks. If the pressure is less than four pounds steam will flow through only valve 78 and only tank 10' will be heated. If there is any heat left in the steam after heating tanks S and 10 the surplus can be dil verteu to other heating mechanisms, and so on, until all available heat has been extracted. The heating mechanism could also he connected with the pipe G7 beyond the valve 66 so that surplus steam over tive pounds pressure will not be wasted but can be utilized. Thus a'plurality of heating mechanisms can be adapted for successive connection with a steam supply source, each mechanism having preference over the succeeding -tank 10' unt-il the temperature is restored. l Likewise. should tank 10 become suddenly cool, this tank will have the'preferenee and will divert the steam flow to itself until its temperature is again restored.

In Fig. 4. is shown a somewhati'nodifled arrangement. for controlling the diversion of. steam tion' from one heating mechanism to another. In this arrangement avalvc S() ineluded in pipinpr 19 inside the check valve 20 is thermostatically controlled by thermostatic mechanism 81 influenced by the steam suiliciently heated by the exhaust steam the within the steam compartment of tank 10. AS soon as ,the temperature of the steam, and

steam iow diverted to other heating mechanism, in this case to the tank 8. This thermostatic control could be applied to both the arrangements shown in Figs. 1 and 3. The various mechanisms could also be adaptedor controlling the low of fluid in fluid pressure systems. In this case the valve mechanisms for controlling the `dow to the various tanks would be pressure controlled so that. when the pressure in a tank reaches a certain value flow to that tank will automatically be closed and the flow diverted to other tanks or mechanisms. For example, valve 80 would be a'pressure controlled valve so that as soon as the pressure of the fluid in tank 10 reaches a certain value further tlow would stop and the fluid would be diverted automatically diverted as soon as the pressure or temperature in the mechanism reaches a predetermined value, and' the mechanisms are progressively so inter-con- `nected that each mechanism has preference over the succeeding mechanism in the progression with reference to the fluid supply.

I do not wish to be limited to the precise arrangement which I have shown, as modif fications are possible which still come within the scope of my invention, and

therefore desire-to secure the following claims by Letters Patent:

1. In' a heat-inel system. the combination of a source of steam, a plurality of heat utilizing,r units one at least. being a water heater of the closed condenser type, suitable valve controlled connections connecting the several heat utilizing r units with said source of steam. whereby the steam may be diverted from the said Water heater to another of said` units, and automatic valve actuating mechanism operatively associated with said water heater., actuated by the changes of conditions in said water heater due to temperature and operating to automatically divert the steam supply away from the water heater to another unit and -to switch it back to the Pwater heater.

2. In a. steam heating.,r system, the combination with a sourceof steam, of aplurality of .water heaters of the closed condenser type. one of said heaters being of relatively small sizev'asl compared withA the other or others, suitable valve controlled connections connecting the several water heaters with said source of steam, whereby the steam may be diverted from the smaller waterhcater to the .other or others, and automatic valve actuating mechanism operatively associated with said relatively small Water heater, nc

tunted by the changes of' conditions in the latter (lne'to temperature, :1nd operating to mentioned piping at a point outside of the l check valve :incl having connection with the automatically direct the, Steam Supply tothe .relatively smflll writer heater until the Water therein arrives at :x pretleterlninefl temperature, to automatically divert the steam snpply from Said small water heater to the. other j or others when the temperature reaches' snitl l predetermined point and to automatically Switch the Steam supply miek to 'the Small water heater whenever the tenipemtxne in the latter falls belo` said lnetletern'linetl point.

3. In a water heating system: the combination of a henting tank having :1 steun com- 0nd tzmlc having :x steaun compartment and a Water compartment, piping connecting and adapted for connection with a source of exhaust steam, :l cheekmalve n1 stud piping, Branch 'piping connecting wlth Sait. first 'y :by mme7 this 20th-day 0f October, A. D.`

IRVIXG COWLES. Witnesses.:

Yf'tLnE-RT H. GRM-'12s,

i I partment and :1 wutm'- compurtlnent'i a seel z s i with the steam compartment of the tix-st tank CHARLES J. Summon 

